How Fast Do Freight Ships Travel? Speed, Units, and Global Voyages

Japan’s economy relies heavily on imported natural resources, such as crude oil from the Middle East, iron ore from Australia and Brazil, and coal from Australia and Indonesia. These vital resources are transported across vast distances by cargo ships. A common question arises for anyone curious about global trade and logistics: How Fast Does A Freight Ship Travel and how long do these massive vessels take to sail from distant loading ports to Japan? This article explores the speed, navigational units, routes, and typical voyage durations of these essential ships. Understanding the speed of a travel by freighter cargo ship provides insight into the pace of global supply chains.

Understanding Nautical Miles and Knots

In the maritime world, speed and distance are traditionally measured using units distinct from those used on land. The nautical mile serves as the unit of distance, while the knot is the unit of speed. These units are particularly convenient for navigation. One nautical mile is defined as one minute of latitude on the Earth’s surface, approximately equivalent to 1,852 meters (compared to a statute mile of about 1,600 meters).

This means that sailing one nautical mile north or south changes the ship’s latitude by one minute. One knot is defined as one nautical mile per hour. Therefore, a ship sailing at a speed of 10 knots will cover 10 nautical miles in one hour. At this speed, theoretically, a ship sailing directly north could increase its latitude by one degree (60 nautical miles) in 6 hours, and circumnavigate the Earth at the poles in 2,160 hours (90 days).

Navigating the Oceans: Great Circles vs. Rhumb Lines

Consider a journey across the Pacific from Los Angeles on the U.S. west coast to Tokyo, Japan.

Map illustrating Great Circle and Rhumb Line ocean shipping routes between Los Angeles and Tokyo

The shortest distance between two points on the Earth’s surface is along a Great Circle (represented by the solid line in the map above). A Rhumb Line (dashed line), in contrast, is a path that maintains a constant compass heading. The distance between Los Angeles and Tokyo is approximately 4,800 nautical miles via the Great Circle and 5,100 nautical miles via the Rhumb Line.

To minimize voyage time, navigating along the Great Circle is preferable. However, this requires continuous adjustments to the ship’s heading as it progresses. In the past, accurately determining longitude at sea was challenging, making constant heading navigation (Rhumb Line) the simpler choice to ensure reaching the destination, even if it meant a longer journey. For the LA to Tokyo route, this involved maintaining a heading of roughly 270 degrees (west).

Today, with precise positioning systems like GPS readily available, ships commonly navigate along the Great Circle route, which for this voyage swings northward to around 50 degrees north latitude after leaving Los Angeles. A modern container ship traveling at a typical speed of 20 knots can complete this 4,800-nautical mile journey in approximately 240 hours, or about 10 days (4,800 miles / 20 knots = 240 hours). It is important to note that actual voyages may deviate from the perfect Great Circle to account for factors like weather, sea conditions, and currents.

Voyage Example 1: Crude Oil from the Middle East to Japan

Let’s examine the transport of crude oil from the Middle East, specifically from Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, to Tokyo Bay in Japan.

Connecting these two points via a single Great Circle route isn’t feasible due to landmasses. Tankers departing Ras Tanura in the Persian Gulf navigate through the Strait of Hormuz into the Indian Ocean, then pass through the narrow and busy straits of Malacca and Singapore before crossing the Pacific Ocean to reach Tokyo Bay.

The navigation distance along this route is approximately 6,600 nautical miles. A large crude oil tanker (VLCC – Very Large Crude Carrier) typically travels at a speed of around 14 knots. At this speed, the voyage requires approximately 470 hours (6,600 miles / 14 knots ≈ 471 hours), which is about 19.5 days. Considering the time needed for loading and unloading at both ends, a round trip for a VLCC importing crude oil from the Middle East to Japan generally takes between 45 to 50 days.

Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) oil tanker sailing at sea, representing a freight ship transporting crude oil

A single VLCC importing 300,000 tons of crude oil supplies roughly 12 hours of Japan’s oil demand, which is then processed into gasoline and various other petroleum products.

Voyage Example 2: Iron Ore from Brazil to Japan

Next, consider the route for transporting iron ore, a crucial raw material for steel production, from Brazil to Japan. Since Brazil is located nearly opposite Japan on the globe, there are multiple potential sea routes:

Map showing four possible freight ship routes from Brazil to Japan for iron ore transport

• Westbound: ① via the Panama Canal, ② via Cape Horn
• Eastbound: ③ via the Suez Canal, ④ via the Cape of Good Hope

Route ① through the Panama Canal offers the shortest navigational distance followed by a Great Circle route across the Pacific. However, this route is less commonly used for iron ore shipments due to limitations on ship size imposed by the canal and the high transit tolls.

Route ② via Cape Horn involves navigating the Drake Passage, situated between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica. This passage is notorious for severe weather year-round, including powerful storms, waves exceeding 15 meters, and strong currents, making it a hazardous and less preferred option.

For eastbound voyages from Brazil, the route through the Suez Canal (③) faces similar economic challenges to the Panama Canal route, namely ship size restrictions and high tolls, making it less economical for transporting large volumes of bulk cargo like iron ore.

Consequently, the most common route for transporting iron ore from Brazil to Japan is via the Cape of Good Hope (④) at the southern tip of Africa. The navigation distance on this route is considerably longer, reaching around 12,000 nautical miles each way. A large iron ore carrier typically sails at a speed of about 13 knots, resulting in a voyage duration of approximately 40 days (12,000 miles / 13 knots ≈ 923 hours ≈ 38.5 days). A full round trip on this route, including loading and unloading times, can take almost three months. To enhance efficiency on such lengthy voyages, larger vessels have been introduced, including super-large carriers like the Vale Max, capable of transporting 400,000 tons of iron ore in a single shipment. The travel time for various journeys differs greatly, whether comparing these long sea voyages or shorter distances, such as the salem to cottage grove travel time by land.

Comparing Freight Ships and Air Cargo: Speed vs. Capacity

The speed at which a cargo ship travels is influenced by numerous factors, including weather, sea state, currents, and sometimes deliberate speed adjustments based on economic considerations (like fuel costs). Generally speaking, typical speeds range from around 20 knots (approximately 37 km/h or 23 mph) for faster container ships to 12-15 knots (approximately 22-28 km/h or 14-17 mph) for larger bulk carriers transporting goods like iron ore or oil.

Airplanes, on the other hand, offer significantly faster cargo transport. However, they cannot compete with ships in terms of the sheer volume or weight they can carry. A large cargo aircraft like the Boeing 747-8 Freighter cruises at approximately 560 knots (over 1000 km/h). This speed means a journey from Saudi Arabia to Tokyo using a Great Circle route (around 4,500 nautical miles) would take only about 8 hours, which is roughly 1/60th the travel time of a VLCC on its route. But, the maximum loadable quantity of a Boeing 747-8F is about 140 tons, a mere 1/2000th of the capacity of a VLCC.

MOL logistics network map showing global shipping and transport routes

Therefore, air transport is the optimal choice when speed is paramount for delivery, whereas sea transport is unbeatable when transporting massive quantities of goods at a lower cost is the priority. Global logistics networks often combine different modes of transport – including air, sea, and land (such as the operations involving hubs like a flying j dealer -- mega travel plaza breezewood photos) – to meet diverse customer needs.

In summary, while aircraft are significantly faster, freight ships, despite their comparatively modest speeds of typically 12-20 knots, remain the backbone of global trade due to their immense carrying capacity, enabling the efficient and cost-effective movement of goods across vast oceans.